MOTOR VEHICLE SEAT PROVIDED WITH A RECEPTACLE FOR COMBINED USE AS A STEP AND STORAGE BOX

Abstract

This motor vehicle seat (10) comprises a seat (12) provided with a cushion comprising a seat bottom portion (14). The cushion comprises at least one housing (16) formed in the cushion from the seat bottom portion (14). Figure for the abstract: Fig. 1

Description

Title of the invention: MOTOR VEHICLE SEAT PROVIDED WITH A HOUSING FOR COMBINED USE AS A STEP AND STORAGE SPACE

[0001] The present invention relates to a motor vehicle seat provided with a housing for combined use as a step and storage.

[0002] The invention belongs to the field of equipment for motor vehicles.

[0003] Access to the roof of a motor vehicle, for example to attach or detach objects, requires positioning oneself at a sufficient height in relation to this roof.

[0004] However, the majority of current vehicles are not equipped with platforms or external running boards allowing them to be raised while remaining in a stable position.

[0005] This usually involves opening a vehicle door and placing one foot on the door seal. This creates an unstable balance, as there may not be enough space to place both feet apart. Furthermore, when the foot presses against the door seal, it can damage it.

[0006] In addition, one may be forced to lean forward to get closer to the part of the roof that one wishes to access. This is not a comfortable position and may even present a risk of falling.

[0007] The present invention aims to remedy the aforementioned drawbacks of the prior art.

[0008] For this purpose, the present invention proposes a motor vehicle seat comprising a seat provided with a cushion comprising a seat bottom portion, remarkable in that the cushion comprises at least one housing formed in the cushion from the seat bottom portion.

[0009] Thus, without increasing the wheelbase of the vehicle by an external platform, the invention makes it possible to offer the user both a discreet, practical and secure arrangement for placing a foot there in a stable manner, without damaging the door seal and without the need to lean forward when he needs to raise himself to access the roof rack, as well as a storage space capable of accommodating straps or other accessories for the roof rack or any other object.

[0010] In a particular embodiment, the aforementioned housing is formed from a part having an upper part in contact with the cushion and a lower part intended to be in contact with the floor of the vehicle.

[0011] In a particular embodiment, the aforementioned housing comprises a storage bin.

[0012] This allows easy access to objects placed in the housing, by extracting the storage bin like a drawer.

[0013] In a particular embodiment, the storage bin is removable.

[0014] This makes it even easier to access objects placed in the housing.

[0015] In a particular embodiment, the housing is a molded part made of plastic.

[0016] Alternatively, the housing is a part produced by 3D printing.

[0017] 3D molding and printing techniques make it possible to give the housing any desired shape with reduced mass and low cost.

[0018] In a particular embodiment, the seat is a rear seat, in particular a bench seat.

[0019] This thus provides direct access to the entire useful part of the vehicle gallery.

[0020] For the same purpose as that indicated above, the present invention further provides a motor vehicle seat arrangement, the vehicle comprising at least one seat as described above, a floor and side woodwork, remarkable in that the housing is in contact with the side woodwork and the floor.

[0021] In a particular embodiment, the housing has a lower part provided with ribs intended to rest against the floor.

[0022] These ribs make it possible to increase the rigidity and robustness of the housing in order to support the weight of the user's foot.

[0023] Still with the same aim as that indicated above, the present invention also proposes a remarkable motor vehicle in that it comprises a seat arrangement as described above.

[0024] The particular characteristics and advantages of the seat arrangement and the vehicle being the same as those of the seat, they are not repeated here. Brief description of the drawings

[0025] Other aspects and advantages of the invention will appear on reading the detailed description below of particular embodiments, given as non-limiting examples, with reference to the appended drawings, in which:

[0026] [Fig. 1] is a partial schematic perspective representation of a motor vehicle seat according to the present invention, in a particular embodiment, mounted in a vehicle body;

[0027] [Fig.2] is an enlarged partial schematic representation showing a removable storage bin included in the seat of [Fig.l], in the extracted position;

[0028] [Fig.3] is a partial schematic perspective representation of the seat of [Fig.l], showing a user with a foot placed in the housing included in the seat;

[0029] [Fig.4] is a longitudinal sectional view along a vertical plane of a vehicle seat according to the present invention, in a particular embodiment. Description of embodiment(s)

[0030] As shown in [Fig.l], in a particular embodiment, a motor vehicle seat 10 according to the present invention comprises a seat 12 provided with a cushion comprising a cover which covers padding. The lateral part of the cover is called the seat bottom 14. By extension, the lateral part of the cushion is also called the seat bottom. Only the right-hand part of the seat bottom 14 is visible in the drawing.

[0031] By way of non-limiting example, the seat 10 may be a two- or three-seater bench, or an individual seat.

[0032] According to the present invention, the cushion comprises a housing 16 formed in the cushion from the seat bottom part 14, either only on the right side, or a housing 16 on the right side and a housing 16 on the left side.

[0033] The housing 16 may consist solely of a clearance made in the cushion of the seat 12. This clearance may, for example, have substantially the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped.

[0034] The housing 16 may further be formed from a part having an upper part in contact with the padding present on face B of the cushion (i.e. on the face opposite that on which the occupant of the vehicle sits) and a lower part intended to be in contact with the floor 40 of the vehicle, as described later with reference to [Fig.4].

[0035] The part constituting the housing 16 may be a molded plastic part, or a part produced by 3D printing, or even a sheet metal part. If it is a plastic part, it may possibly be overmolded with the padding.

[0036] As shown more clearly in the enlarged view of [Fig. 2], the housing 16 can further optionally accommodate a storage bin 18. In the illustrated embodiment, the storage bin 18 is removable and [Fig. 2] shows the storage bin 18 once extracted from the housing 16, while [Fig. 1] shows the storage bin 18 entirely contained in the housing 16.

[0037] Depending on the dimensions of the housing 16, it may be possible to envisage providing several storage bins 18, possibly of various sizes and shapes. The dimensions of the housing 16 are adapted to the width and height of a foot and are therefore approximately 150 mm for the width and approximately 100 mm for the height.

[0038] In the storage bin 18 illustrated in [Fig. 2] are arranged several straps 19 which can be used to fix objects on the roof rack of the motor vehicle. This example is however not limiting and any other object or accessory can be stored in storage bin 18.

[0039] It is possible to secure access to the contents of the storage bin 18 by adding a locking system, for example of the key and lock type.

[0040] In the particular embodiment described and illustrated, the seat 10 is a rear seat of a motor vehicle and more particularly a bench seat.

[0041] In a motor vehicle according to the invention, it may be provided that the rear seat(s) comprise such a housing 16 in one side of the seat bottom 14 or in both sides of the seat bottom 14, i.e. left rear door side and right rear door side.

[0042] The motor vehicle seat arrangement according to the present invention comprises at least one seat 10 as described here, a floor 40 illustrated in [Fig. 4] described in more detail later and side woodwork, which constitute trim pieces made for example of plastic. The housing 16 is in contact with the side woodwork and the floor 40.

[0043] In a particular embodiment, the lateral opening of the housing 16 is in contact with the woodwork located on the same side.

[0044] As shown in [Fig. 3], the use of the housing 16 to access the gallery of the motor vehicle is very simple: the user simply has to place one foot in the housing 16 and his other foot is balanced, or possibly on the bottom of the step but without needing to encroach on the door seal. He is thus at an adequate height to access the gallery of the vehicle without damaging the door seal.

[0045] [Fig.4] is a sectional view along the YZ plane of the vehicle shown in [Fig.2], in an X, Y, Z coordinate system where Y designates the right-left transverse axis of the vehicle, the X axis designates its rear-front longitudinal axis and the Z axis its bottom-top vertical axis, in a configuration where the storage bin 18 is fully inserted into the housing 16.

[0046] There we can see the seat base 12, the housing 16, the storage bin 18 in which the straps 19 are placed, by way of non-limiting example.

[0047] The clearance of the housing 16 extends to the anti-submarining hump 4L

[0048] The base of the housing 16, where the support surface for the user's foot is located, is fixed or placed on the floor 40 of the vehicle body. It is fixed above or below the carpet 42 if there is one.

[0049] In the case where the housing 16 is a plastic part, the lower part of the housing 16 may be provided with stiffeners or ribs 44. They are intended to rest against the floor 40 and provide the housing 16 with sufficient stiffening and robustness to support the weight of the user's foot. The housing 16 may be fixed to the floor 40 by screws or nuts or be glued. In in the case where the housing 16 is a sheet metal part, it can be welded to the floor 40.

Claims

Claims

1. Motor vehicle seat arrangement, said vehicle comprising at least one seat (10), a floor (40) and side woodwork, said seat (10) comprising a seat (12) provided with a cushion comprising a seat bottom portion (14), said cushion comprising at least one housing (16) formed in said cushion from said seat bottom portion (14), said seat arrangement being characterized in that said housing (16) is in contact with said side woodwork and said floor (40).

2. Seat arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in that said housing (16) has a lower part provided with ribs (44) intended to rest against the floor (40).

3. Seat arrangement according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said housing (16) is formed of a part having an upper part in contact with said cushion and a lower part intended to be in contact with the floor (40) of said vehicle.

4. Seat arrangement according to claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that said housing (16) comprises a storage bin (18).

5. Seat arrangement according to claim 4, characterized in that said storage bin (18) is removable.

6. Seat arrangement according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said housing (16) is a molded plastic part or a part produced by 3D printing.

7. Seat arrangement according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said seat (10) is a rear seat.

8. Seat arrangement according to claim 7, characterized in that said seat (10) is a bench.

9. Motor vehicle, characterized in that it comprises a seat arrangement according to any one of the preceding claims.

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